Blog Archives

  This paper described three members of an Italian family affected by tubular aggregate myopathy (TAM) and congenital miosis harboring a novel missense mutation in ORAI1. All patients had a mild, late onset TAM revealed by asymptomatic creatine kinase (CK) elevation and congenital miosis consistent with a Stormorken-like Syndrome, in the absence of thrombocytopathy. Muscle … [Read more]

  To describe the incidence and identify predictors of sudden death (SD), major conduction defects and sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VTA) in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), this study retrospectively enrolled 1388 adults with DM1 referred to six French medical centres between January 2000 and October 2013. The authors confirmed their vital status, classified all deaths, … [Read more]

  GNE Myopathy (GNEM) is a progressive adult-onset myopathy likely caused by deficiency of sialic acid (SA) biosynthesis. This Phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the efficacy and safety of SA (delivered by aceneuramic acid extended-release (Ace-ER)) versus placebo as a treatment for GNEM. Dose-dependent increases in serum SA levels were observed. Supplementation with … [Read more]

Most myotilinopathy patients present with a dominant late onset distal phenotype and myofibrillar pathology, although the first MYOT mutation in a family reported to have LGMD phenotype. This paper reports a French family affected with a late onset proximal and distal muscle weakness and myofibrillar myopathy on muscle pathology, in which the siblings known to … [Read more]

  The publication of standardised care guidelines in 2010 was an important step towards improving DMD patient care. These guidelines were reproduced as “family guides”, and distributed to patients and health care providers via patient organisations, the TREAT-NMD network, and patient registries. The authors aimed to survey the extent to which these guidelines have been … [Read more]

  Duchenne muscular dystrophy is caused by dystrophin gene mutations which lead to the absence of the protein dystrophin. A significant proportion of patients suffer from learning and behavioural disabilities, in addition to muscle weakness. The authors of the present study have previously shown that these patients have a smaller total brain and grey matter … [Read more]

  Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is caused by homozygous inactivation of the SMN1 gene. The SMN2 copy number modulates the severity of SMA. The 0SMN1/1SMN2 genotype, the most severe genotype compatible with life, is expected to be associated with the most severe form of the disease, called type 0 SMA, defined by prenatal onset. This … [Read more]

  Nusinersen is a 2′-O-methoxyethyl phosphorothioate-modified antisense drug being developed to treat spinal muscular atrophy. Nusinersen is specifically designed to alter splicing of SMN2 pre-mRNA and thus increase the amount of functional survival motor neuron (SMN) protein that is deficient in patients with spinal muscular atrophy. This open-label, phase 2, escalating dose clinical study assessed … [Read more]

STIM1 is a reticular Ca2+ sensor composed of a luminal and a cytosolic domain. Missense mutations in the luminal domain have been associated with tubular aggregate myopathy (TAM), while cytosolic mutations can cause Stormorken syndrome, a multisystemic disease associating TAM with asplenia, thrombocytopenia, miosis, ichthyosis, short stature and dyslexia. Here, the authors present the case … [Read more]